Ollivander is the surname of an old wizarding family. The family is known to have been in the wand-making business since 382 B.C.. It is said that the name means ‘he who owns the olive wand’, which suggests that the original Ollivander arrived in Britain from a Mediterranean country (olive trees not being native to the UK).[2]

Garrick Ollivander believes that his earliest ancestors in England arrived with the Romans, and set up stall (subsequently shop) to sell to ancient British wizards whose wands were crude of construction and unreliable in performance.

The earliest known member of the family is Geraint Ollivander. The current owner of the famous wand shop is Garrick Ollivander. He is an established wandmaker in the British wizarding community and many wizarding families preferred buying Ollivander's wands over other makers, often remarking that his were the best. Harry Potter also bought his first wand from him in 1991. He is also responsible for making the "brother wand" of Harry's, purchased by Tom Riddle (later known as Lord Voldemort).

Notes and references

↑On Pottermore - "New from J.K. Rowling: Pure-Blood", the Ollivanders are mentioned to have been included in the Pure-Blood Directory published in Britain in the 1930s. As Gervaise Ollivander was already alive by 1930, this establishes that he must be a pure-blooded wizard and this, in turn, indicates that all of his ancestors must be Pure-blood as well; his son was not a Pure-blood, however. This was due to Gervaise marrying a Muggle-born.